British Pathe

The International Brotherhood of Magicians Conference in Hastings, East Sussex.

C/U of clown, Will Norman, wearing a top hat and a big furry racoon coat with cigarette in mouth riding along a street (we only see him from the waist up); he takes off his hat to fan himself. M/Ss as we see he...

The International Brotherhood of Magicians Conference in Hastings, East Sussex.

C/U of clown, Will Norman, wearing a top hat and a big furry racoon coat with cigarette in mouth riding along a street (we only see him from the waist up); he takes off his hat to fan himself. M/Ss as we see he is sitting on top of part of an old bedstead and pedalling along; he arrives at Hastings Town Hall and is greeted by three other clowns and a small crowd of spectators. The other clowns lift him off the bedstead and carry him up the steps into the hall.

M/S of a girl, Carbonita, wearing a harlequin tunic and red capri pants, standing on the flat roof of a department store in Queens Parade, Hastings; she takes her position on a stool and holds two brooms as a young man, Carboni, enters the shot; commentator tells us they are young Swedish illusionists. Carboni holds the brooms out to show the crowd watching below; good C/Us of the spectators. Carbonita has a broom under each arm as Carboni hypnotises her, then takes away one broom and the stool she is standing on so she is left dangling from the other broom in a trance!

M/S from behind the pair as Carboni moves Carbonita's legs so they stick out at an angle; she is still only supported by one broom! He then moves her legs higher so she is lying horizontally! C/U of a man in the crowd looking a bit scared and holding a dog. L/S of the couple on the roof, Carbonita is still horizontal and we see cars and people passing in the street below.

Carboni puts Carbonita's legs back into a vertical position and replaces the stool and broom under her; C/U of a policeman watching in the crowd. M/S as Carboni stands in front of Carbonita and claps his hands before her face to bring her out of the trance and she smiles. Commentator says "All we know is that the act took two years to develop so it's entitled to be a mystery!" Very impressive!
Note: there is a press release about the conference on file. Carboni and Carbonita also appear in CP 304 - Plastic Bag Magician. Also on tape *PM0119* - transferred twice in error.